Read the whole thing if, as a hard-working taxpayer and/or parent, you can stomach it, but I wanted to quote two passages here.

I’m about to talk about two little words that make most people cringe. The mere mention of these words usually incites the same reaction in everyone: a) fear b) denial c) a throbbing headache and d) the desire to run away screaming and crying and begging to go to a “happy place.” Yes, I am talking about STUDENT LOANS. If you don’t have one, you know someone who does and you sympathize with them. In the midst of the credit crisis, home foreclosures and bailout turmoil, the amount of debt that graduates are facing is overwhelming.

I am 23-years-old, two years out of college and I am sitting on $115,000 of student debt. And based on my lender’s loan terms, I only have roughly 12 years to pay it off. How much does that make my monthly payment, you ask? A whopping $1,200 a month. And let’s just say my lifelong dream career in television doesn’t lend itself to that. The only option my bank is giving me is to go on “graduated repayment plan.” That means that for four years I will only be paying off the interest every month. How much is that? Well, $115,000 with interest rates between 4-8%… that’s about $600 a month and that doesn’t even touch the principal amount. People don’t pay off houses in 12 years and I am expected to pay off this student loan in an entry level position?

Some might say, “Sam, you shouldn’t have gone to a private school in New York City if you wouldn’t be able to pay it off.” Well, I made a lot of mistakes when signing up for my loans, but I was uneducated on the process and on the repayment and now I’m stuck. I share the same anxiety as the families struggling to pay their mortgages. How was I ever to expect the financial crisis that was going to happen and where can I get some help?

Uneducated on the process? Bullshit. My two oldest sons have applied for and received college loans and they were educated every step of the way. There are counselors who help you. The forms are explained ad nauseum. And I assume you had at least one or two parents who you could have turned to for advice. Purposeful ignorance is no excuse.

Oh, and you do NOT share the same anxiety as families who are struggling to pay their mortgages. Losing a home and possibly having your entire family out on the street – spouse, kids, pet beagle – is a tad more anxiety-producing than some 23-year old having to wear Payless shoes to work and live in her parent’s basement . (Although I imagine that thought does cause anxiety for your parents.)

I chose to go to a private school and I chose to work in a field where the starting salaries are low. Does that mean that I chose to live a life of struggle, wondering how I am going to pay my rent, afford the basics of living and still stay in my chosen career field…all while putting up with high interest rates and an amount of debt that brings me to tears?

Yep, that is exactly what it means, sweetie. You made your choices and now you have to live with them. It’s called being an adult. Now man-up, get to work, cut out a few pedicures and hair-treatments, and pay off your debt.

As my father says, “let me ‘splain something to you.” I ain’t your Dad. I did not take you to raise. I do not want to pay for your stupidity.

Got it? Good.

UPDATE:

What is even more disturbing is the number of people in the comments section that agree with this girl – I don’t call her a woman because she is not acting like one. They all want a hand-out. None of them want to take responsibility for their own decisions.They want the government, using the tax dollars of honest, hard-working responsible Americans, to bail them out. In another word, Democrats.

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[…] This Just In: A Gal Named Sam ? The Reluctant Optimist By TRO And let?s just say my lifelong dream career in television doesn?t lend itself to that. The only option my bank is giving me is to go on ?graduated repayment plan.? That means that for four years I will only be paying off the interest … The Reluctant Optimist – https://reluctantoptimist.wordpress.com/ […]

Shit, I had no student loans and yet still lived with my parents and wore Payless shoes after I graduated from college….because I couldn’t get a decent paying job, and the only way I could get a job in my area (teaching) was to blow everyone on the effing school board.